In a culture obsessed with staying young, we ignore the many benefits of ageing

kali9/Getty Images In a culture obsessed with staying young, we ignore the many benefits of ageing Published: September 22, 2026 7:55pm EDT https://theconversation.com/in-a-culture-obsessed-with-staying-young-we-ignore-the-many-benefits-of-ageing-289506 https://theconversation.com/in-a-culture-obsessed-with-staying-young-we-ignore-the-many-benefits-of-ageing-289506 Link copied Share article Share article

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Every morning, millions of people wake up hoping to look, think and feel younger than they did yesterday.

The anti-ageing industry is worth hundreds of billions of dollars , promising everything from “miracle” supplements to gene therapies. Few people embody this pursuit more visibly than entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, whose quest to slow ageing and achieve “immortality” has gained global fascination.

Johnson has meticulously documented countless treatments in his biohacking regimen, including cosmetic enhancements, stem cell therapies, a total plasma replacement and, most recently, even cloning his own cells.

The message is clear: ageing is something to defeat .

But science tells a more complicated story.